Louver and method of assembling same



P 2, 1958 E. F. ZURAWSKI 2,849,943

LOUVER AND METHOD OF ASSEMBLING SAME Filed Aug. 16, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet1 i I 2 5. ZES z i w w m n w p 1958 E. F. ZURAWSKI 2,849,943

LOUVER AND METHOD OF ASSEMBLING SAME Filed Aug. 16, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet2 gig- .4

5 H&\@ j\6 M Z i W 7 w 41 7 iE E! L W m W H Ml 2,849,943 Patented Sept.2, 1958 LOUVER AND METHOD OF ASSEMBLING SAME Edward F. Zurawski,Chicago, 111., assignor to Garden City Plating & Manufacturing Co., acorporation of Illinois Application August 16, 1955, Serial No. 528,625

2 Claims. (Cl. 98-114) This invention relates to a louver in which theslats are firmly held against collapse without welding, and to a methodof assembling the slats in a frame.

The present invention is concerned with the assembly of louvers,particularly for use with fluorescent light fixtures, but may beadvantageously used wherever a plurality of thin metal slats arearranged in intersecting relationship within a frame and rigidly held inposition. The frame is preferably square, but may be of any suitableshape.

In structures of this type it has been customary to bend the ends ofeach slat at right angles and then assemble the slats into a suitableframe, with the bent ends of the slats engaging the inner surface of theframe. The bent ends of the slats Were then individually welded to theframe. It has been found that if the frame and slats are sheet steel,the louver has excessive weight. If the louver is made of aluminum, thestructure is not sufficiently rigid. The difficulty of welding steel andaluminum together has heretofore prevented the manufacture of louverspartly of steel and partly of aluminum.

In accordance with the present invention, the louver slats arepreferably made of aluminum, to reduce the weight of the structure, andthe frame is made of steel to provide the necessary rigidity. The steelframe comprises four walls, each provided with a plurality of verticalslots spaced to conform to the spacing between individual slats. Eachslat is provided at both ends with an integral tab adapted to projectthrough one of the slots when the slats are assembled within the frame.Each tab is bent over to hold the slats in place. The tabs projectingthrough the slots of each wall may be bent simultaneously as a unit. Ifdesired, the tabs on all four walls may be bent simultaneously.

Angular steel corner plates are then positioned against each corner ofthe frame and welded thereto. Preferably each wall has a channelextending outwardly from its lower edge, and flat plates are welded toadjoining ends of the channels to provide additional rigidity. Thelouver may then be mounted in any suitable fixture or in the ceiling,and the tabs of the slats, which are bent against the outer surface ofthe walls of the frame, are concealed by the fixture or by the ceiling.

The structure by which the above mentioned and other advantages of theinvention are attained will be described in the following specification,taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, showing a preferredillustrative embodiment of the invention, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a louver embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a top elevational view of the louver;

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view, taken along the line 33 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a top plan view showing the tabs on one side of the frameabout to be bent against the frame;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing the assembly of the slats beforethe frame is applied thereto;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary detail perspective view showing the means forinterlocking the slats;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary detail perspective view showing the cornerpieces of the frame in disassembled position; and

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary detail perspective view of the corner of thelouver in assembled position.

The louver comprises a plurality of slats 2 and 3 arranged ininterlocking engagement. Each slat 2 is provided with a plurality ofslots 4, and each slat 3 is provided with similar slots 5. Slots 4 and 5extend transversely from one edge of the slat through approximately onehalf the width of the slat. Slats 3 which extend in one direction areinverted relative to slats 2 which extend at right angles thereto. Slats2 and 3 are arranged with corresponding slots 4 and 5 aligned. Each slat2 is engaged by corresponding slots 5 of intersecting slats 3, and eachslat 3 is similarly engaged by slots 4 of intersecting slats 2.

Slats 2 are each provided with a tab 6 extending outwardly from each endin the plane of the slat, and each slat 3 is provided with similar tabs7. The frame comprises four members 8, 9, 10 and 11, adapted to besecured together at their adjoining ends as hereinafter described, toform a rectangular or square frame. Frame members 8 and 9 areduplicates, and each comprises a wall 12 having a height substantiallyequal to the height of the individual slats. Each wall 12 is providedwith a plurality of slots 13 aligned with the individual slats 3 andarranged to be impaled over the tabs 6, A flange 14 extends outwardlyfrom the lower edge of each wall 12, and terminates in an upwardlyextending flange 15 parallel to wall 12 and spaced outwardly therefromto form a laterally projecting channel.

Frame members 10 and 11 are duplicates, and are similar to frame members8 and 9. Each frame member 10 and 11 has a wall 16 provided with slots17 adapted to receive tabs 7 which project therethrough. A flange 18extends outwardly from the lower edge of each wall 16 and terminates inan upwardly extending flange 19 parallel to wall 16 and spaced outwardlytherefrom.

Each wall 12 is recessed from the ends of frame members 8 and 9 adistance equal to the width of flange 18 so that the ends of flanges 14and 15 extend to the plane of flange 19, and the ends of walls 12 abutthe adjoining ends of walls 16, when the frame members are assembledwith tabs 6 projecting through slots 13 and tabs 7 projecting throughslots 17.

An arm 20, provided on one surface with a plurality of notches 21, ispositioned in engagement with one of the frame members. Each tab 6 or 7projects into one of the notches, and the distance between correspondingside walls of notches 21 is equal to the spacing between tabs 6 or 7 tocause each tab to be engaged by a side wall of one of the notches at thesame time. Any suitable means is provided to reciprocate arm 20, and thearm is moved longitudinally relative to the frame member engaged by itto simultaneously bend all the tabs 6 or 7 on said frame member at rightangles into juxtaposition with the outer surface of the frame member.Although a single arm 20 is shown in the drawings, four arms may beprovided to bend tabs 6 and 7 on all four sides simultaneously.

After tabs 6 and 7 have been bent against the frame members, an angularcorner plate 22 is positioned at each corner of the frame, with the legsof the corner plate juxtaposed against the outer surface of twoadjoining walls 12 and 16. Each corner plate 22 is welded to both wallsto provide a rigid structure. Additional rigidity is provided by a flatplate 23 which is positioned on flange 18 adjacent each end of framemembers 10 and 11. Each plate 23 fits between flange 19 and wall 16, andextends beyond the end of frame member or 11 into engagement with flange14 of the adjacent frame member 8 or 9. Each plate 23 is welded toadjacent end portions of the flange 19 of a frame member 10 or 11 andthe flange 14 of an adjoining frame member 8 or 9. Although it ispreferred to bend tabs 6 and 7 against the frame members and then weldthe plates 22 and 23 in place, it is possible to weld the plates first,and then bend the tabs.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the individual slats of thelouver are securely held in interlocking engagement by frame membersthat are rigidly secured together. A single bending operation bends allthe tabs on at least one frame member, so that a maximum of four bendingoperations secures opposite ends of each slat in the frame. Since thetabs do not have to be welded to the frame, they may be made of aluminumor other suitable light weight material, while the frame is made ofsteel to give it the necessary strength. In normal use the tabsprojecting through walls 9 of the frame members are not visible, becausethe entire frame is positioned within an opening provided therefor in aceiling or within the frame of a fluorescent light fixture.

While I have described a few preferred embodiments of my invention indetail, it will be understood that the description thereof isillustrative rather than restrictive, as many details may be modified orchanged Without departing from the spirit or scope of my invention.Accordingly, I do not desire to be restricted to the exact constructiondescribed.

I claim:

1. A method of making louvers which comprises the steps of arranging aplurality of slats in interlocked relationship with slots in each slatengaging oppositely dis posed slats at intersecting points, each of saidslats being arranged in a straight line, impaling four slottedindependent frame members on tabs projecting from opposite ends of saidslats by positioning said frame members outwardly of said slats,aligning the slots of each frame member with the tabs on correspondingends of slats extending in one direction, and moving each of said framemembers inwardly at right angles to the slats having tabs aligned withthe slots of said frame member, while maintaining said slats in saidstraight line arrangement until each end of each frame member abuts theadjacent end of an adjoining frame member, bending each of said tabsinto juxtaposition with the outer surface of the adjacent frame member,and then welding corner plates to the end portions of each of said framemembers in parallel relationship to the tabs bent into juxtapositionwith each of said frame members.

2. A louver comprising four separate frame members arranged in the formof a rectangle with adjoining ends of said frame members abutting eachother, two of said frame members being disposed in parallel planesextending at right angles to the planes of said other two frame members,corner plates secured to adjoining end portions of said frame members toprovide a frame rigid in each lateral direction, each corner platecomprising two angular portions disposed in perpendicular planes witheach angular portion parallel to the plane of the frame member to whichit is secured, each of said frame members having a plurality of parallelslots in predetermined spaced relationship intermediate its height, andtwo angularly arranged series of slats interposed between said framemembers, the slats of each series being aligned with the slots of twoparallel frame members, the slats of each series having oppositelydisposed parallel slots, the slats of each series being interlocked withthe slats of the other series by the interengagement of said slots withthe slats of the opposite series at each intersection of said slats,each of said slats having tabs on its opposite ends, each of said tabsprojecting through a slot in one of said frame members and juxtaposedagainst the outer surface of said one frame member, said tabs comprisingthe sole means for securing said slats to said frame members.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS812,158 Tuttle Feb. 6, 1906 887,722 Dorn May 12, 1908 1,081,476 WellenDec. 16, 1913 1,251,018 Hart Dec. 25, 1917 1,462,607 Manrow July 24,1923 2,008,907 Green July 23, 1935 2,464,442 De Roo Mar. 15, 19492,555,626 Avers et al. June 5, 1951 2,685,246 Saunders Aug. 3, 1954

